Clamping means for wall board or the like



Oct. 26 1926.

J. J. TURNER CLAHPING glEANS FOR WALh BOARD OR THE LIKE Filed Dec. 29. 1923 reg Patented Oct. 26, 1926.

cairn star-s reeisze riser eer e JOHN J. TURNER, OF BATAVIA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNQR TO UNIVERSAL GYPSUM 8n LIME 00., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

A CORPOEATEON 6F 1 )EIIAT/V'AJRIE.

onnrvrrrns runans roe WALL BOARD on-rrrn LIKE.

This invention relates to clamping means for v rtically suspendingpanels of material on cars or trucks adapted to run on an overhead track in a drying kiln. It is concerned particularly with clamping mechanism for suspending in a vertical position wall board or panels in an undried state until the same is properly dried, such boards or panels having a plastic body which is of a weak or soft nature.

One of the objects of my invention is the provision of mechanism for hanging the panels on the car or truck so aranged that minimunrobstructionwill be offered to the free circulation of the air in the kiln between the suspended panels, and the efficiency of the kiln willbe maintained at the maximum.

In clamping mechanism for the purpose stated, it is very desirable that the means by which the panels are suspended are of such construction that the panels are not marred or discolored. t has been found that wooden strips have little tendency to mar or discolor the panels. Since the strips must be securely clamped against the sides of the respective panels, there is no opportunity for the air to pass between the strips and the panels engaged thereby, consequently, those portions of the panels engaged "by the strips are slow to dry. It is another object of my invention to provide clamping strips so constructed that the air may circulate freely through the strips, thus maintaining the strips in a relatively dry state so thatthey will more readily absorb the moisture from those" portions of the panels engaged thereby. v i j The invention consists in the novel constructions and arrangements to be hereiir after described and'claim'ed for carrying out the above stated objects and such other ob-.

jects as will appear from the following description of a certain preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein i Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a kiln equipped with 'mechanism embodying the principles 'of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view, on an enlarged scale, of one of the clamping strips;

Fig. 3 is a side e'levational view, also on an enlarged scale, of one of the clamping strips, certain portions thereof being broken out to show the internal construction; and

. Fig. 1- is a perspective view, on a further enlarged scale, of a fragmentary portion of one of the strips.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in'the several views. 1

Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen that thelongitudinally extending kiln 8 is provided with an'overheadjtrackii on which a car 10' may be run. The car is preferably provided with two spaced cross members 11 from whichtl'ie clamping mechanism is suspended.

The clamping strips, 12 are preferably made of wood and are suspended at each end by inverted lei-shaped clips -13 which are placed over the respective cross members 11 of the car. The ends of each chpare bent outwardly and are perforated for the insertionof bolts 14 which pass through the str ps 12. Tl16T6S1DGCtlVGStIlpS 1-2 are provided with a plurality" of vertically extendpassageways 15. i

f When the car is to be loaded, it is run out of'the kiln. Some relatively stationary means'is' providedin association with the respective cross. membersll for the first panel 16to be clamped against, said means inthe present arrangementconstituting the end clips 13 and the clamping strip 12 connected thereto, seeFig. 1, the nuts on the bolts connecting said clips and strip being turned on tightly, thus fixing the clips and strip'securely to the members 11. The nuts on thebolts of all the other clips are not turned on tightly, the other clips, therefore, being slidable on the respective cross mom bersull. After the first pan-e116 has been properly positioned with one of its sides bearing against the inner face of the clamp lng strip 12, the ch'pslfs and the clamping strip 12 attached thereto are moved over to bring -one face'of said clamping strip 12* against'the other side of said panel, said strip being temporarily and securely held in place by a set of suitabletools (not shown). The panel 16 is now placed with one of its sides bearing against the other face of the strip 12 and then the clips 13 and the clamping strip 12 attached thereto are moved over to bring one face of said clamping strip 12 against the otherside of said panel 16, said strip-12 being temporarily and securely held in place by another set of the tools mentioned above, which obviously will also serve to'hold the strip 12 and the panel 16; whereupon the set of tools holding the strip 12* may be removed. Likewise the other panels and strips are successively placed and held in position, the two sets of tools being alternately set and released. WVhen the car has been loaded in this manner, the last strip l2 is secured in place with one of its sides engaging the other side of the panel lo which may be done in any one of several ways; in the present case, the nuts on thebolts fastening the clips 13 to the strip 12* are turned on tightly, thus fixing said strip and clips securely to the members 11.

The car with its lead of suspended panels or boards is now run into the kiln. The vertically extending passageways 15 in the respective strips permit the air in the kiln to circulate freely between the panels. There is no opportunity for air to become trapped between the panels under the respective clamping strips, as is the case when solid strips are used. Because of the better circulation of air in the kiln, the panels dry in considerably less time than is the case when solid clamping strips are employed, and hence the etliciency of the kiln is ma terially increased.

Since the strips 12 are firmly clamped against the sides of the panels, there is no opportunity for the air to circulate between the faces of the respective strips and those portions of the respective panels engaged thereby. Said portions of the panels are usually the last to dry and are dried very largely by the respective clamping strips absorbing the moisture therefrom. By providing the passageways in the respective clamping strips so that the heated air in the kiln may circulate freely through the strips, the strips themselves are maintained in a relatively dry state and, hence, those portions of the panels which are engaged by the strips are dried much quicker than is the case when the strips are solid. I have also found, when the strips are constructed as described, that the tendency for them' to warp is reduced to-a. minimum.

I do not intend to l mit my invention to the details of construction shown and clescribcd, except only in so far as certain oi the appended claims are specifically so limited, as it will be obvious that modifications may be made without departing from the pr nciples of my invention.

I claim:

1. In mechanism of the class described, clamping and spacing means having oppositely disposed flat sides adapted to engage the adjacent sides of panels of wall board or the like, said means having passageways so arranged that air circulating between the clamping or spacing strip of absorbent'material and having oppositely disposed flat sides adapted to engage the adjacent sides of panels of wall board or the like said strip having passageways so arranged that air circulating between the panels may pass therethrough, for the purpose specified.

3. In mechanism of the class described, a wooden clamping or spacing strip, said strip having passageways so arranged that air may circulate therethrough, for the purpose specified. V

4. The combination with supporting mechanism, of a plurality of means adapted to engage the sides of wall board or the like, said respective means having passageways so arranged that air may circulate therethrough, and means for attaching said respective first-named means to said supporting mechanism.

5. The combination with supporting mechanism, of a plurality of clamping or spacing strips adapted to engage the sides of wall board or the like, said respective strips having passageways so arranged that air may circulate therethrough, and means for attaching said respective strips to said supporting mechanism.

6. The combination with supporting mechanism, of a plurality of wooden clamping or spacing strips adapted to engage the sides oi wall board or the like, said respective strips having passageways so arranged that air may circulate therethrough, and means for attaching said respective strips to said supporting mechanism.

7. The combination with supporting mechanism, of a plurality of means having oppositely disposed flat sides adapted to engage the respective sides of panels of wall board or the like, said respective means having passageways so arranged that air circulating between the panels may pass therethrough, and means for attaching said respective first-named means to said supporting mechanism.

8. The combination with supporting mechanism, of a plurality of clamping or spacing strips of absorbent material and having oppositely disposed flat sides adapted to engage the respective sides of panels of wall board or the like, said respective strips having passageways so arranged that air circulating between the panels may pass therethrough, and means for attaching said respective strips to said supporting mechanism.

JOHN J. TURNER. 

